Project report available

Dog crate case: Two social workers facing charges?

The twelve-year-old had to wait for hours in this box.

(Bild: zVg)

There was consternation at Krems District Court in February when two social workers reported as witnesses on the visits to the home of the mother who had locked her twelve-year-old son in a dog crate. They did not intervene, although the child's condition was dramatic. The investigations by the public prosecutor's office in Krems (Lower Austria) against the employees of the authorities have now been completed. 

The "Krone" reported in detail on the terrible torture case: twelve-year-old Gerhard (name changed) had lost around 30 kilos in 2022, was extremely hypothermic and almost died as a result of the actions of his mother and her sadistic girlfriend. The videos shown in the trial against the two women were abhorrent - emaciated and trembling, the boy cowered on the floor, barely able to move.

From the social workers' report:

"Gerhard is found standing by the table bent over a notebook. He is writing an announcement. A strong blue discoloration is visible on his hands. He has injuries to his wrists, they are bandaged. It is cool in the apartment, the child's mother credibly justifies this with the fact that the apartment has just been aired. The boy is shivering during the interview. When asked if he is cold, he denies it. He seems extremely introverted and only gives short answers or none at all. When asked questions, he seems to use eye contact to get Mrs. K. to agree to an answer."

Ice-cold apartment that stank of urine
At the time, the social workers were on the lookout after a concerned teacher raised the alarm. She had called the district authority in Waidhofen an der Thaya five times before a check-up was carried out. Although the boy had his arms bandaged and only answered in monosyllables, there was no one-to-one conversation with him. There was neither a nursery nor a bed, and the social workers did not look in the fridge. It was freezing cold in the apartment and it stank of urine.

The 33-year-old mother (left) was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February.

(Bild: Anja Richter)

"The mother said that her son was sleeping in her bed," the officer recalls as a witness. According to the man, the child's thin build was "not a cause for concern". Despite the alarming conditions, the authorities saw no reason to release the boy from his mother's care. He saw "no imminent danger" and acted in accordance with official regulations, the social worker asserted in court.

The fact is: a few days after his last inspection, on November 22, 2022, Gerhard's life was in acute danger.

State commission of inquiry failed
Data protection caused the investigation commission of the state of Lower Austria to fail miserably, but the attempted murder trial against the mother and accomplice - they were sentenced to 20 and 14 years' imprisonment respectively - did get the explosive case underway.

As the "Krone" learned, the preliminary report by the Krems public prosecutor's office on the social worker and his colleague has been completed and must now be approved by the Ministry of Justice. The investigators are keeping a low profile, but it is quite possible that the two witnesses at the time will be charged with abuse of office. The presumption of innocence applies to them.